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October 5, 2009

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Gremolata

This is an...interesting soup. It reminds me of something that would be served at some high-fallutin, turned-up-nose country club. It's very light, very plain, and surprisingly almost flavorless. The soup is basically cooked (then pureed) cauliflower (which is bland, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised), onion, apple, garlic, and lemon zest. A touch of sugar and nutmeg are added, but I was surprised that the usual unmistakable spiciness of nutmeg was nowhere to be found. I also thought the sweetness of the apple would come through more, but it's really just a faint background element. The bitterness and aftertaste of the cauliflower is what lasts, so if you aren't a fan of cauliflower (which I have to admit is slowly losing its appeal for me), don't try this soup. Even after heavy salting and peppering, the soup was still bland. The gremolata topping (a combination of chopped parsely, garlic, and lemon zest) didn't do much for the soup either, even after I stirred it in, hoping for more flavor. The lemony scent is obvious, but again, its flavor is completely missing. I think one thing that could have saved this would be using vegetable stock (instead of water!) as the cooking liquid...but I wouldn't say it's worth trying to correct.